The Movie Defenders

In this very special episode of The Movie Defenders, we help you walk through Star Wars: The Last Jedi in a truly unique way, with a movie commentary track! Designed for you to follow along while you watch the film (or if you've memorized it, no worries) and listen as we analyze and walk through our thoughts, impressions, and takes on controversial moments from fans in the film. So if you've wanted to like The Last Jedi, and don't, or if you'd like to love it a little bit more, this is your chance to watch the movie with The Movie Defenders!

This episode is packed full of Defender goodness! We talk about movies we've seen recently and then dive into the news that Ava DuVernay is diving into the DCEU. We also take some listener feedback about Star Wars: The Last Jedi as a lot of behind the scenes videos are hitting the web. Then we dive into defending a movie that was ripped by the critics... Terminator: Genisys. We walk through all the things folks said was wrong with this movie and work to see the film in a much different light.

It's time for our most original show yet! Usually we come at critics from afar, but this time, the critic is on the show! It's time to review Ghostbusters from 2016... a film Donald loved, and Scott loathed. To help Donald, we bring in his brother Drew who also loved the film (because 1 against 1 against Scott just isn't fair!). We break down the film and have a fun conversation with movie clip examples, with Scott saying why he can't bring himself to enjoy the film, and Donald and Drew offering their views as to why they love the movie. They try and alter Scott's prism and help him enjoy the film more. Before that we discuss the Oscars a bit, Avengers: Infinity War moving up its release date, as well as rumors that Zack Snyder was fired from Justice League last year. It's a packed episode full of fun, so whether you liked or hated the Ghostbuster reboot, this show has something for everyone!

The film that's been long awaited is finally out for the Marvel Cinematic Universe... Black Panther! The Movie Defenders are here to review this fantastic film, which doesn't seem to need much defending. While we talk about the fantastic elements of this film, some of which surprised us, we also talk about the unavoidable lead-up and reception to this film. Politics unfortunately creep into this art form, and this film is no different. We talk about the impact of this film, where it sits in super hero movie history, and the overall reception of the public. We round off our discussion with a talk about where this film ranks among the MCU. Some come sit back and come with us... to Wakanda!

We're back and it's time to defend our first listener request film: Reign of Fire! But before we dive into our discussion we talk about a LOT of Star Wars! This week brought tons of news out of Lucasfilm, and we dive into all of it. We play and discuss the new trailer for Solo, and talk about the new movies and TV shows that Lucasfilm has in store. We also talk about how some Star Wars are reacting to the news. After that, we dive into our film, Reign of Fire. Seen as nothing more than a bad B-movie by critics, we talk about how rich the story is and why this movie is overlooked by critics. We play several of the best parts of the movie and give you another way to look at this sci-fi film from 2002. So come along as we breathe some of our own hot air all over this film!

It's time to review the best in movies for 2017 in a show like no other: the First Annual Defender Awards! Join us as we show the Oscars how it's done as we each run through our Top 10 movies of the year, and then dive into our individual awards. We talk Best Actor, Best Director, Best Score, Best Picture and many others. Don't worry, we aren't the stuffy Oscars with a token foreign film and every film the same drama-genre, low-budget character piece that every Academy Awards is full of. We do it right and discuss our favorite and most fun movies, actors and actresses, and moments. We play a lot of film clips as we review what made 2017 great. So, no movie to defend today... just some great movie talk wrapping up the year that was 2017!

This time the Movie Defenders defend the first major motion picture distributed by a streaming service... David Ayer's film, Bright. The movie shows the vast chasm of opinion that exists with the movie, as critics are panning it, but fans are raving about it. With 11 million views in the first few days, Netflix did something right. And with Bright 2 already green-lit, this is just the beginning of the Bright universe. We talk about the film and its commentary on race, as well as the vague, confusing criticisms of the film by critics. We also discuss the recent changes at DC Films, the BIG rumor that Apple may buy Netflix, and we give our last word on all the hate from fanboys surrounding The Last Jedi. So grab your magic wands fellow defenders... let's see if you're a Bright!

It's time for the show we never thought we would have to do... come to the defense of a Star Wars film, not from critics, but from Star Wars fans themselves. In this special episode of The Movie Defenders we dive into all the things being said about The Last Jedi. Mostly those from the fans that feel the film was sub par. Helping us do so, is a great listener who wrote a fantastic letter to us outlining all of his complaints and concerns about the film. We use it as an outline for much of our discussion as we dive into a deep analysis of the new Star Wars chapter. We listen to Mark Hamill and Rian Johnson as they discuss the film, and address every complaint floating around the internet. If you love the film and want ammo when you debate your friends, this show is for you. If you didn't like the movie, but wished you did, this show is really for you! We will help you process the many layers of the film and find the joy that is at the heart of every Star Wars film. So come with us to a galaxy far, far away as we tackle the monolith that is The Last Jedi!

This is truly a landmark show! Not only do we get to review the first Star Wars movie to hit theaters since our show's inception, but we also get to have our first guest-hosts join us! The Last Jedi is out and we get to dive in head first! We talk about our impressions of the movie while our emotions are raw and talk about all there is to love about the film. Then, helping us celebrate, we bring on the hosts of the Order 66 Podcast as GM Chris, GM Phil, and GM Dave join us for the fun! We talk about what we liked, what we didn't, and what we wanted more of! But this is only Part 1 of our discussion as you can also hear us discuss this film on the Order 66 podcast as guests this very week as we do our best impression of a DC TV crossover. So come join us on this glorious and special episode of The Movie Defenders!

Well, we were right and despite a 85% score rating from fans, the Justice League is being panned, predictably, by critics. Several months ago when we started this show we knew this movie was going to need defending, and even last show we predicted what the critics would say. Sadly, we were right about all of it. Justice League was a wildly fun, entertaining movie that dialed our clocks back. A perfect blend of heroics, humor, and heart, Justice League knocked it out of the park! So if you loved this film, or maybe if you thought a few negative things about it, this show is for you! We take everything the critics are saying and analyze them to see how much merit they have. More importantly, we compare what critics say about this film, while the same critics did not have these same complaints about the exact same elements in other films. We examine if there is a bias against DC in the world of critics, (Duh!) and we go right at their hearts in this episode! So join us as we celebrate a world in which the Justice League comes alive on the big screen!

Join us for our first show discussing a film that is currently in theaters as we discuss the fantastic world of Thor: Ragnarok! (Spoiler alert!) We start by talking about the latest news and theories from the Star Wars world (including a new lightsaber for Rey?) and the amazing Black Panther trailer and its significance. We then dive into how much fun the third Thor film is and talk about if it was possibly a bit "too" fun. We talk about the humor, the Hulk, Jeff Goldblum, and Cate Blanchette chewing the scenery like a pro! We wrap our show with a preview of our next show, The Justice League. We review the latest, incredible, tide-turning "Heroes" trailer, and place a bet on how bad critics will crap on what's sure to be a grand slam of a movie. So come and get your capes on and join us for another episode of The Movie Defenders!

Star Wars is on the way this December! To prepare, we tackle and settle once and for all: Was Episode 7 - The Force Awakens a direct COPY of Episode 4 - A New Hope? We analyze, break down both films, the characters, the settings, and the plot and get to an answer. We also walk through all the popular criticisms from the Star Wars fan base towards the movie and analyze how valid they really are. Then we have some fun in a special edition of The Buzz and break down our theories and ideas about Episode 8 - The Last Jedi as we speed towards opening night! It's a long show, by hey... Star Wars right? So buckle up fellow Defenders... it's time for Star Wars!

Our discussion of maybe the most fun DCEU movie out to date continues with part 2. We dive into the movie itself and examine the love story between Harley Quinn and the Joker, we examine Will Smith's Deadshot, and talk about how every character was extremely comic-accurate. We discuss the common complaints about the movie and work to dis-prove them or at least mitigate them with analysis. This was the funniest DC movie to date and the first under the helm of new DC President, Geoff Johns, who insists all movies have "heroics, heart, and humor". Well, he succeeded in droves! Come listen as we wrap up our fun discussion of Suicide Squad!

It's time to bust out the shields again and defend yet another DC film that for some crazy reason was dragged through the mud by critics: Suicide Squad! We begin by talking about some fun news about Richard Donner's 1978 Superman film, and then roll into our main discussion of the film. In this part we talk about the overall critics' views about the film and the great casting choices that were made. We also begin our deep dive into the movie with an examination of Jerod Leto's Joker. We talk about how this is the most comic-accurate version of the character and how much the Oscar Award Winner crushed the part! So come join us and learn about all the reasons you should love Suicide Squad!

Our discussion about Batman v Superman continues as we dive into the movie and the climactic and defining moments. We address all the critics' complaints about the movie using clips from scenes, analysis, and comparison to other films in the genre. (It's not that unlike the Marvel films if you look at it.) We also take on the most hated, ridiculed, and teased moments of the film, "Martha". We can defend it! So come listen to the second half of our fun discussion, and learn to like the movie more than perhaps you once did. This is Part 2 of our 2 part discussion.

In this episode we tackle what is arguably the most crapped on movie in the last decade, Batman v Superman! We analyze all sorts of different parts of the film and address all the major criticisms that have poured out all over the internet since the film was even announced. The movie was behind the 8-ball from the announcement, and we look at why that's been no different than any Batman film ever made. We also have a serious look at the "darkness", the violence, and grim themes of the film and demonstrate how they are no different than what most consider to be the best super hero movies ever made. Our discussion goes pretty long so this is part 1 of 2 parts of our discussion. We also say goodbye to one of Hollywood's greats, Harry Dean Stanton. So if you wanted to like Batman v Superman more than you did, come have a listen, and you might find you like it more than your first pass.

The news is out and J.J. Abrams has been tapped to write and direct Star Wars: Episode IX! The news has broken the internet today and the Defenders talk about what it all means. We break down our opinion and a lot of the venom that's floating around the internet in the wake of the news. We talk about what the people who hate this move say, and we even analyze J.J.'s direct response to that criticism. It's a short show with only one topic but the news was way too hot and fresh to wait to talk about. So join us as we analyze one of the biggest Hollywood stories of 2017.

It's our first non-Star Wars episode where we defend one of the best superhero movies ever made, but one that is commonly ripped to shreds by critics and internet haters... Zack Snyder's Man of Steel. We use audio from several scenes and take a deep dive into Superman's first truly modern film and show that it's not that much unlike Richard Donner's 1978 masterpiece. While Man of Steel looks much different from other Superman iterations, we prove that the essential core tenants of Clark Kent are very much present. So come along as we begin our defense of the DC Extended Universe with the one that kicked it all off. It's a movie that means a great deal to one of the hosts and you can hear the reasons why this movie was one that we were waiting nearly 40 years for. Some come learn how to enjoy Man of Steel more than you ever have before. If you loved it already, you'll love it more. If you didn't like it, come gain a new way to look at the film and get a lot of enjoyment out of this amazing film.

In our 3rd episode we tackle the last of the Star Wars prequels and bring our discussion of the oft-hated Star Wars trilogy in for a landing. This episode concludes over 7 hours of discussion defending the prequels. We do it with humor and acknowledge when things might be a bit off, but we celebrate and discuss the "why" behind the things George Lucas did and give you a new way to look at the movie. The movie has an almost 80% positive rating for reviews on the internet but we still felt it needed defending. So if you wished you liked the prequels more than you did, come along with us in a 3 hour discussion of why Revenge of the Sith should be ranked up there with some of the better of the Star Wars films.

Our 2nd episode of our new podcast! This time we continue our discussion of the Star Wars Prequels as we dive into Episode 2 - Attack of the Clones. We talk about all the amazing parts of this movie like the incredible special effects, great casting and acting (Yes folks, we can explain and defend Hayden Christensen), memorable moments, and that amazing story that George Lucas penned. We even talk about the Justice League reshoots, and Disney leaving Netflix. So come listen to the next fun episode of the only podcast that celebrates the movies you love.

Welcome to a brand new podcast celebrating movies and not crapping all over them! In this episode we do a complete break down and defense of the most bashed movie in the history of Hollywood, Star Wars Episode 1 - The Phantom Menace. We break down the big news of Ron Howard taking over directing the Han Solo Anthology film, and then get into defending The Phantom Menace. We talk about all aspects of the film and hopefully provide a new filter for you to watch the movie through, because in our eyes, it's not nearly as horrible as all the movie critics would have you believe. Come listen to us celebrate with humor and serious analysis the very beginning of the Star Wars Saga!